In Lodja, the findings are usually bitter-sweet. Sweet because of the warm reception, the popularity of the growing eye work, the success of the several church building programs as Pastor Kitambala's work line turns out thousands upon thousands of baked clay bricks under his own leadership and initiative. The Lord is moving in important areas of Holy Spirit and deliverance ministries. The Boy's Bible Study breadmaking project experienced a more or less successful pilot phase. The Rwandan troops have pulled completely out of Lodja and our region leaving us in Congolese rebel hands. And a U.S./Euro emergency relief co-operative, MERLIN, has done a commendable job boosting up the once dead Lodja General Hospital with its network of nurse run health centers in the sub-region.
BAD NEWS
On the bitter side are the prayer requests: Our eye center is still in the old house because of delays finishing out the new facility. The bread project ran out of flour and money, but boasts a beautiful clay brick oven. There is much division in the church leadership with accusations of mismanagement during the continuing war conditions in which everyone is suffering from slowed economic activity. The Congolese military live off the local people. The people and even the pastors have the habit of looking to their western friends, you and me, instead of to the Lord and to their own productive labors, for material salvation. I am always met with long wish lists and pressing needs that I could not possibly fulfil. Many the Lord would not have me fulfil. But I give what I can; myself. Rightly or wrongly, I am the incarnation of hope for many touched by our ministry in Lodja. All I can do is continue to point to Jesus as the True Hope.
"E"
Word is you are having a bit of a recession there in the States. We know it must be true because we are having to seriously tighten our belts, too. After a year of stocking the new eye service with equipment and meds, and with the clinic not able to pull its own weight during this war, we are reading "empty" on both tanks. We would like to purchase a vehicle and publish the Otetela translation of Tithing and the Church, now almost ready, as the Lord provides the funds. Please consider standing with us in this ministry, as we pray that the Lord will prosper you in every way even as your soul prospers (III John 1:2).
VISIT BEAUTIFUL POMPEII
Goma, too, is a bitter-sweet experience. Delightful people, a cool comfortable climate, a beautiful lake-side situation, with many conveniences of a small developing nation capitol city; but shadowed by a live volcano that could bury the whole place in ash and lava any minute, surrounded by battling factions of rebels and guerillas on the border of two warring countries, ravaged by HIV, not far from hidden enclaves of Ebola, serviced by antiquated and notoriously poorly maintained Ukrainian cargo planes, not to mention the malaria, sleeping sickness, river blindness... Need I go on? The faint-hearted need not apply. Thank God for the grace to WANT to be here - to be called according to His good purpose.
FLY AWAY HOME
Since I last wrote you, I have spent two weeks in Vanga; as they say in French, to "re-warm my fingers" for cataract surgery which we hope to initiate next year in Lodja. I have also visited Kigali, Rwanda to prepare the way for Pastor Paul Petrie's trip to Lodja via Kigali just after Christmas to give leadership to the pastors who oversee the many village congregations. This recent trip to Lodja, as well, has broadened our base of information necessary for us all to move back as a family. Information on security, supply lines and communications systems, for instance. I'm learning much about logistical preparations and too much about work away from my family. I'll be glad to spend Christmas, at least, with Sharon and Peter and our fellow mission team members before I rush off again to escort the Petrie party into Lodja for the first week of the new year.
HEART OF THE MATTER
I'll catch the UN flight back across the front line again soon, and hope to be safe and warm in the arms of my family in Kinshasa by the time you read this. Our wish for you is a bright Christmas with the warm glow of Christ in your heart.
GRAND ROUNDS
Lohondjola DIKETE is a 38 y.o. Atetela shop owner who presented with eye fatigue after reading, and tearing in the evenings. He denies headache, vertigo, photophobia or itching. Three other family members have unknown eye problems.
He is a 55 kg man, B.P. 110/70, visual acquity 6/9 (20/30) in each eye. Eye lids were normal, conjunctiva were mildly hyperpigmented in exposed areas, both corneas bright and transparent, anterior chambers deep, pupils round and reactive, lenses clear, funduscopic exam normal except for mildly generous cups, having a c/d ratio of about 5/10 in both eyes.
On confrontational testing, visual fields were found to be reduced at the peripheries by about 25%. The pinhole test was conclusive, improving his vision to 6/5 oo, so the trial lens set was used for a subjective exam and +0.25 DS lenses were found to improve his vision to 6/5 in each eye when the accommodation was disabled. Finally, eye pressure was measured to be 24.4 mm Hg OD and 29.0 OS.
Dx: Hypermetropia (farsightedness) and mild ocular hypertension. Some +0.25 DS glasses should put his eyes at ease; we gave him an annual dose of Vitamin A 200,000 IU i po, and recommended he have his relatives checked for eye trouble. We will measure his eye pressure twice more over 1 week, and if the pressure is consistently elevated, we'll give him Timlol 0.25% i drop oo BID with follow-up for his glaucoma until such a time that we can offer him the permanent solution of trabeculectomy surgery.
Glaucoma is a common problem here, usually diagnosed too late, after irreversible blindness has occurred. It's a pleasure to help this man save his sight, and sobering to consider the unknown seeds of blindness, physical or spiritual, that any of us may carry around. Who helps you see the blind
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